Thread: Woodturning on metal lathe?

This topic has come up several times, in fact I floated the same propostion myself.

General consensus is that a metalwork lathe is for metal and a woodwork lathe is for woodturning.

My suggestion is to GET ADEDICATED WOOD LATHE>

Thanks artme.
Any recommend for wood lathe

If you presently use the metal lathe for turning metal etc, and you can afford to keep it, DON'T I repeat DON'T sell it.
If your starting out with wood turning you can buy a nice small midi lathe or something similar for not too much and it wont be too far down the track before you may want to make jig or fitting that will help you with your wood turning. so the metal lathe becomes invaluable.
I know plenty of wood turners who end up buying metal lathes for that reason, so if your happy with the metal lathe keep it, and look around for a wood lathe.
If your metal lathe is one that turns at a reasonable speed and has a reasonable swing, then it can be used as a wood lathe,
if it has a flat bed you could make a wood lathe style toolrest/banjo. It really depends on 1. the type of metal lathe you have and 2. the type of wood turning you want to do.
Pattern makers lathes are a good example of this.
You can easily adapt wood turning chucks to fit metal lathes.

Agree With INVENTOR = Don't get rid of the metal lathe if you can afforde to keep it.

As for woodlathes there are a number of things to consider:

1. You can turn small stuphph on a big lathe BUT you can't turn big stuphph on a small lathe.

2. WWhat do you wish to turn mostly? Spindle work (between centres) or bowl work. My guess is you will do both, so a lathe with a good swing over the bed is essential.

3. How much can you afford? the more you pay, the better the lathe. This means looking at features such as Electronic Variable Speed, Indexing, quality of fit and finish - particularly with regard to the alignment of the centres. you should consider a hollow headstock and a lathe that has #2 Morse taper head and tail stocks.

4. how much room do you have in your shed?

5. Can you find a good second hand lathe that will fit your requirements? Look for those with a cast iron bed.

6. Don't forget to take into account the cost of centres, face plates, chucks and gouges.

Bao, Don't get rid of you metal lathe, if you ever get around to making models or or other projects that need close tolerances , clocks etc the metal lathe is a must. cheers John.

You have good points.
It is hard to decide but there's no room for other lathe in my shed. Beside I have to go through the process to apply the budget from my boss.

you should be able to pick up an 'adequate' wood lathe for around $400 even new like the Woodfast midi size, particularly if you have not turned much before.
A midi size lathe could easily sit on a small movable bench, which could overcome your shed issue.
Unless you didn't like metal turning ( and ant to sell it), then I would just turn the wood on your existing lathe.'If'' your metal lathe is old and not a precision toolroom lathe etc clean it down so it doesn't catch too much dust in the oily shafts etc and add a toolrest as best you can. Otherwise, the head stock and tailstock are generally inferior on most wood lathes than what you probably already have.
One option is to use the metal lathe to make/modify a wood lathe. that how I made mine. If your not going to make long spindle work then the wood lathe doesn't have to be very long and take up space.

Alternatively you might be able to modify the outboard end of your metal lathe to become a bowl lathe??

dont get rid of the metal lathe!!
HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOOLS WINS!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by danielhobby

dont get rid of the metal lathe!!
HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOOLS WINS!!!!!!!

Besides think of all the extra tools (TOYS) you can make with both lathes . And all though's fittings that you can't buy for love nor money .

..........use the metal turning lathe to make your wood Lathe.

VTBAO, pm Ad de Crom. He can fill you in on making a homemade lathe.

Welcome to the addiction!!!

Thanks ED.

vtbao,

I started this addiction with a 7 X 12 inch Chinese pawn shop metal lathe. I quickly found that I liked making bowls and twig pots. The three jaw metal chuck would grab a chunk of wood and the live tail center would hold the other end.

I stuck a 5 inch piece of 1/4 inch square steel in the tool holder to make a tool rest.

I made some scraping tools from wood chisels, a parting tool from a junk store bread knife, and something from a screw driver, and did a lot of sanding.

After breaking, first the toothed belt, then a plastic gear, I went looking for something bigger. My brother in law had a Delta 12 X 30 lathe with a pot metal headstock and bent steel bed in his basement that he had not used for 20 years. I asked to buy it, and found it belonged to an acquaintance, who gave it to me.

With it came some proper carbon steel turning tools and I got more practice.

I am now working with a 14 X 30ish Hegner and a 20 inch swing short bed Woodfast. I have a pile of junkyard saw mandrels, shafts and bearings for the future 36 inch swing bowl lathe, along with a South Bend Heavy 10 (10 X 28) metal lathe to make round parts.

I have used the South Bend for bowls by again putting a steel bar in the tool holder. It is the right speed for bowls and has all the steadyness in the world. 1000 pounds with the under drive motor cabinet.

The SB would need a longer tool rest to be easier to use for spindles.

If your lathe will accept Morse Taper 1 or 2 in the spindle, there are drive centers readily available for spindle work. There are sleeves to convert MT 3 or 4 to MT 2. If you have a faceplate you can do bowls. A live tail center cares not if it is in wood or metal.

Turners for hundreds of years have made bowls without a 4 jaw scroll chuck. The chuck makes it more convenient and a bit faster.

Peter Child states in his book, The Craftsman Woodturner, that a competent turner should be able to make a bowl with one fixing from a 4 X 12 blank in one hour. I have managed to get one ready to sand in 1 1/2 hours, from a blank roughed out with an ax and chain saw.

I learned a lot from Peter's book, you might find it in the library or used book store. There were some on Amazon in the US & UK. I see there is an edition of 1998, that may not have the old techniques.

Look for some older turning books from the 50s to the 70s to see how it was done before the marvelous chucks and space age tools made from exotic metals were made.

One can turn without spending a fortune.

Welcome to the addiction.